The Philadelphia 76ers pulled the trigger on a head-scratching deal at the deadline back on Feb. 5. With the team on a West Coast road trip, the Sixers moved Jared McCain to the Oklahoma City Thunder for a 2026 first-round pick via the Houston Rockets and three second-round picks.
While McCain wasn’t having the best season while in Philadelphia, he was coming off a serious torn meniscus injury as well as a torn UCL in his right thumb that held him back a bit. It was always going to take some time before he found his rhythm again on the offensive end.
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In five games before the trade, McCain was shooting a scorching 62.5% from deep as he was beginning to figure it out. Then, after the team’s win over the Golden State Warriors on Feb. 4, the Sixers were on the bus heading back to the airport to fly back to LA and continue the road trip. That is when McCain got the call that he was traded to the Thunder.
In 11 games in OKC now, McCain is shooting 43.1% from deep as he continues to find his rhythm out on the floor.
McCain opened up on his emotions that day with Jake Fischer via The Stein Line substack:
“It was weird emotions,” McCain told The Stein Line last week. “I’m crying and he’s telling me I’m traded and I’m telling players on the bus and hugging guys goodbye.”
McCain, like Sixers fans, was blindsided.
“I had no clue at all,” he said.
While on that road trip, Sixers Wire talked with Kelly Oubre Jr. the morning after and he gave his emotions on the trade of McCain. It was obvious that the second-year guard brought a lot of joy and happiness to Philadelphia’s locker room. Tyrese Maxey mentioned on Tuesday night that he is happy to see McCain playing well in OKC as he continues to show love to his former teammate.
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McCain and the Thunder will visit the Xfinity Mobile Arena on March 23.
This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: Thunder’s Jared McCain opens up on emotions of being traded by Sixers
